The bright sun's rays glistened off the skin of Satoshi as he began his journey to the bustling city of Valdirose. Many days have passed now since he once resided in his home along with his loved ones; he now carried a few of his belongings in a satchel, a straw hat to lessen the sun's rays on his eyes, and a dark green cloak which held his last memories from home. After what had seemed to be a long and very difficult journey, Satoshi had finally found remnants of civilization.
Upon looking up at the blue sky, Satoshi noticed a gray substance developing beyond the trees. “Smoke? There must be someone nearby,” Satoshi muttered. As he grew closer to the smoke in the sky, all he could wonder was if he would finally be getting closer to take his revenge. The very thought frightened him more than he had cared to admit, but even so, he carried on.
After reaching where the smoke had been coming from, Satoshi noticed a campfire and an older man who seemed to be collecting firewood. From here on, Satoshi sat in a bush patiently observing. The old man wore an old, beaten-up gray wool sweater and pants that seemed to not reach past his ankles. He walked slowly, and every once in a while he’d place a hand on his back.
The old man sat down to rest on a stump. Satoshi, now deciding this man was of no threat, left his bush and walked towards the man. Hearing a bit of rustling, the old man looked up to see a man who seemed to be covering his face to conceal himself walking towards him. The stench of bloodlust grew closer as Satoshi took each step. “A bandit this close to town?” he thought to himself. “No, a bandit could not be this terrifying,” he whispered. As a retired traveling merchant, the old man had come across his fair share of bandits, and being in the presence of Satoshi did not remind him of those people. Being too old to run, the old man froze and prayed for his life.
“Where are we?” Satoshi asked. The old man's face was puzzled; he had been sure this man meant to harm him. “Hey, did you hear me?” In a panic to respond, the man began stuttering, “T-This is the Northern Forest.” Satoshi removed his hat, placing it at his chest, and smiled as he replied, “Thank you.” The man, who had been in fear, began to smile as he shed a tear. “You remind me so much of my grandson,” the man said as he began sobbing. “Those evil bastards!”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Who are you referring to?” a curious Satoshi asked.
“The young lord to the dukedom of Ormund. He insists he will find the killer of the luminary, but all he’s done is persecute the innocent.” Satoshi, feeling a similarity in their circumstances, couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. He decided to help the man by picking up his firewood and offering to escort him back to his home. “Since my grandson's death, I've left that evil city and bought a cabin here in the Northern Forest,” the man exclaimed as the two walked back to the old man's home.
On the outside, it looked to be a normal cabin, but upon entering the cabin, it was apparent this was no ordinary old man. Books were stacked up on the floors, maps of the three continents were pinned to the wall, and a sweet smell filled the air. “You must be wondering what that smell is,” the old man exclaimed as he saw Satoshi sniffing around the environment. “I've traveled all across the world, studying all kinds of information, seeing the most beautiful sites, and collecting all kinds of rare wines. Naturally, the sweet smell you're picking up on is the wines which have been fermenting for decades, some even centuries,” the man boasted.
Satoshi, who had been looking around the cabin, studying his new environment, could not stop looking over the world maps pinned to the wall. “You want to travel?” the man asked Satoshi.
“Yes, I'd like to see the world. It's always been a dream of mine.”
The old man smiled at Satoshi. “You really remind me of my late grandson. He had the same dream. I hadn't been able to help my grandson realize his dream in his lifetime, but I would like to help you.”
Satoshi’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm. “Can you teach me about the three continents?” an excited Satoshi asked.
“I would love to, young man.”
That night Satoshi sat in the bath after not being able to properly clean himself since the tragedy that had taken place a few days earlier. This was the first time he felt relaxed in days. Satoshi slowly sunk into the bath, dozing off.
“Kill them!” A faint voice whispered, which caused him to jump out of his sleep. “That voice, it won’t go away,” Satoshi whispered as he clenched his teeth. “I won't do your bidding,” Satoshi announced. “I make my own decisions.”